Independent agricultural economist Sean Rickard has warned that the dairy industry must face the reality of global markets and the price volatility that goes with them. He spoke at the Organic Milk Suppliers Co-Operative (OMSCo) Positive Dairying conference in Birmingham, UK recently. Focusing on the future decisions for those in the dairy industry, he says, "UK dairy farming is now part of a global industry and is therefore subject to the vicissitudes of short term shocks to global markets, and longer term trends. Even relatively small mismatches between supply and demand lead large fluctuations in price. Surviving dairy farmers must learn to cope with greater volatility. "The dairy industry, and particularly UK farmers, needs a new mindset: not only to deal with short term volatility, but also with the longer term global opportunities and sustainability challenges.
展开▼
